Up Here
by redex
Summary: Chaste HiiragiTachibana -fluffy- A savior, a hurt one, a tower and a home. [ONESHOT]


Yey for more I'll! mangascreener just came up with a maga amount of new scanlations, if you haven't noticed. In it there is quite a bit of Hiiragi/Tachibana tenseness, it's slightly scary. In any case, you're here to read, not listen to me fangirl.

**Disclaimer: **blahdiblahdiblah, too tierd to bother, may Hiroyuki Asada reign always.

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**Up Here  
**

_by_

**Redex**

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_Up here the wind blows so fine..._

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"Hitonari?"  
  
_I thought I had escaped it. Some people never know when to let go.  
_  
Tachibana stands, hands in pockets, the look telling him both how stupid he must look, and how hurt he must be. He had stopped letting himself complain about them a long time ago.  
  
i Some people never let go... /i  
  
He looked away, head resting against the cool metal frame. He wouldn't meet that accusing face. The slight down-turning of the lips, the half-lowered eyelids, the frowning eyebrows. He was making someone worry. He didn't know if he liked that idea or not.  
  
"Go away."  
  
The answer to that feeble remonstration was preordained.  
  
"No."  
  
Akane was standing in front of him, looking down on him, and then in an unexpected move, crouched down to face him. He was expecting the teen to remain standing. After all, whenever he made scathing comments about someone he was always standing up. He was expecting a bitter, cynical remark.  
  
_Just let it go already... Let me go._  
  
"Hitonari,"  
  
A soft voice assaults his ears and he still does not turn away from the unseen sunset. His silence tells Akane that he is listening.  
  
"Stop sulking and come home with me."  
  
He is surprised, but in a numb way, a way that makes him only turn his head slowly and smirk, feeling the unmistakeable tang of blood on his tongue.  
  
"What makes you think I want your help?"  
  
_You both can't have me, so just let me go on my own._  
  
"Because you're not a loser."  
  
He frowns, eyes searching Akane's face for a hint as to what his reaction should be. Given none, as Akane knows he hasn't, they both stand up after he takes a hand of Akane's. It is taken, and aching muscles are forced into service. He stands, wavers, and catches himself. He too tired to be ashamed of the fact that he holds onto Akane's arm to walk.  
  
_If I choose a path with one of you, the other will still have to let go._  
  
The walk "home" is a hard one for him. Subtle glances give him an arm to lean on when he stumbles, and room to walk when he forces himself on. There had been worse times, but not too many.  
  
"Almost there."  
  
He knows this building. He's been inside a few times, once or twice. Only a little ways away. He steps inside the quiet building and kicks off his sneakers without bending down. Socked feet make little noise as the two pad into the kitchen. He sits down without bothering to ask. There is no need. The residant rummages around in the freezer while muttering to himself and produces an ice pack which is tossed to him. Then a wet cloth. Akane sits down opposite him while he wipes off his face and then applies the cold pack to a throbbing eye.  
  
"It was a group of them."  
  
The unasked question's answer was delivered with a small smirk. He didn't want Akane to think that he was so badly beaten up by any one person. Pride...  
  
_I'm letting go, now it's time for you to._  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
Just a simple fact. He knows all the connotations to it, and doesn't comment. It wouldn't matter if he had been beaten up by some guy off the street. Tachibana would still have come to get him. Akane would always come to get him. And he would say nothing. Neither of them do for a long time.  
  
_I'd rather be with him than with you. Let me go so I can be happy.  
_  
"Are you sure?"  
  
He resolutely pulls the sheets up to his chin and rolls over. He hears Akane lie down on the creaking mattress and closes his eyes, but knows he will never fall asleep. He has a hard time falling asleep in strange places, so it didn't matter if he is on the floor or not. It takes a long time. He hears the door open and shut and quiet, stealthy footsteps move through the apartment. He assumes that this is the mother. All falls quiet once again. He rolls over, wincing with clenched teeth as his bruises are aggravated. But he lies and looked up, watching the little lump that is visible over the mattress edge. The one person who would never tell.  
  
_Let go of me, I don't need you any more._  
  
He was standing over Akane when the other woke up, blinking blearily at him, but quickly divining the reason for this intrusion. Tachibana reluctantly rolls over to the far side of the bed, under the window, and flings back the sheets. He minovers his aching body under the sheets and pulls them up to his shoulders. They watchs each other for a little while, just studying the movement of the faces. He felt that there were so many things to see there that he would never fall asleep.  
  
"I asked you before if you wanted to sleep on the bed."  
  
Akane's teasing voice is as soft as the light coming in from outside. The arm is draped over his torso, both holding him near and not demanding nearness. He swallows his pride and leans his head closer on the single pillow.  
  
"I didn't want to sleep on the bed. I wanted to sleep with you."  
  
Their foreheads rest together as they breathe softly into each other's mouths as a bird watches the two occupants. One, it knew; the other was a newcomer. Its mind does not go so far as to notice the simple entwining of fingers lying over the covers. It sees, and flys away, choosing to take its morning song somewhere else, to allow their sleep to continue for a little while longer.  
  
_He is all I need._

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tuhduh! Hope you liked it, but regardless, review and tell me what you think. Written during some of my very few hours away from school, time well spent, thinks I. See yas next ficcie, and many reccs to me girls Dew and Fyre, whom you will see around the fandom if you're reading anything but me. Peace! 3


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